Hot off of the successes of 2010's multiplatform title Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure comes Skylanders: Giants, the first expansion due out later this year from Activision. The title will take already-established gameplay, settings, and characters from Spyro's Adventures and throw in an all-new type of character: the giants.

At their core, the giants are nothing more than oversized and stronger variations of the standard-sized Skylanders that players grew accustomed to using in the original game. Outside of the character figurines being physically larger and having the ability to literally glow while on the game's required "Portal of Power" peripheral, these giants also pack a powerful punch in game. Activision stressed, however, that the new character type isn't the be-all-end-all of playable Skylanders.

"They're a little bit slower," said a company spokesman, "but they are pretty excellent."

Outside of being slower, the giants will also be bound to the same elemental limitations of the standard-sized Skylanders.

In addition to the addition of the giants in Skylanders: Giants, new standard-sized Skylanders figurines will also be coming out. This includes not only all-new characters, but new versions of existing characters. Currently, Activision has set the level cap for Skylanders characters at '10'. Giants will raise that cap to '14', and new enchanced versions of existing Skylanders characters will be made available to represent this change. There will also be new standard-sized figurines that will glow when they are on the Portal -- just like the giants will.

While there is no mistaking Skylanders the game as a cash cow for Activision, not only because of the title's overall enjoyable gameplay as established by last year's original release, but also due to the already large catalog of character figurines. The addition of giant characters, new standard characters, and enhanced versions of original characters only really mean that the company will have even more inventory with which to increase their earnings.

Skylanders: Giants is expected for release in October of 2012. Activision will release the game onto PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U, 3DS, and PC.